Self-care is my battery charger and without self-care, I am not sure how well I would be balancing my life. I have been with Penny Lane for 10 years and as much as I like to work, I also like to take the time to travel, or simply do things that I enjoy. Anything relating to the body and mind fascinates me and helps me heal from the daily stress of life whether it’s going to the gym, listening to soothing music, using movement expression, or juggling. Yes, juggling!! Not only do I juggle work and my new position at Penny Lane as a Supported Employment Clinical Supervisor, but I am also a new mother of a 6-month-old baby boy. I have to say self-care is not as easy as before. I try waking up every morning to go to the gym, but my mind and body tell me “I am too tired.” I have learned to rebut this thought by telling myself, “I am always going to be tired, what’s new?” It has not been easy but changing my inner voice has helped me with finding a deeper meaning of what motivates me to keep going in the search for MY self-care.
Self-care can look and feel different for each person but finding a passion that will help bring peace to your mind will make a significant difference in your outlook on life. Another difficult factor to make self-care happen is time. When, where, and how can I make time? Well, “we all have the same time, 24 hours in a day no one has more, and no one has less. But how we use the time will make us successful” -Everett Hardy. Don’t let time dictate your life, instead you dictate time.
During this new journey, being a new mother and returning to work I have learned that self-care is not just doing something to make me feel better, it goes beyond the surface area to a deeper meaning of having patience with myself, taking small steps, and not being critical and judgmental for not being able to complete things or do things that were on my to-do list or calendar. Self-care is being able to let go and attend to my needs and have clear boundaries and love for who I am unconditionally. I have learned to STOP and try to maintain my role as mother and wife at home and, when appropriate, switch my roles back to work. It is a balancing act that I continue to work on daily to help with keeping my sanity, having clear boundaries, and prioritizing self-care. I encourage you to find your passion and let your passion take you on your journey of self-care both, physically and mentally.
-Jessica Rojas, Penny Lane Centers